


by any other name

by chroniko



Category: EXO (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 06:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13241955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chroniko/pseuds/chroniko
Summary: A modern re-telling of an old classic.Goddammit, Oh Sehun.





	by any other name

**Author's Note:**

> make the content u want 2 see 2k18
> 
> alternate title: SEHUN NUGU AEGI

“Iced Americano, double shot for Johnny,” Sehun calls out. “For Johnny!”

Jesus Christ, Johnny. It might not be peak hours at the cafe but there are like, 5 other people crowding the area waiting for their orders. While Sehun’s almost used to doing this, there’s still that tiny amount of embarrassment that materializes every time he calls out someone’s name and they aren’t there. (It’s somehow more embarrassing than reading out stupid names people give with their orders—Jongin had given him the name _‘Sehun’s Anus’_ once, and he doesn’t even drink coffee, the bastard.) 

“I think I saw Johnny by the window up front,” Minseok supplies. “It won’t take long, go deliver it to him.”

Having to go through the cafe in his uniform to deliver coffee to someone (his friend who should know better, even) who isn’t paying attention is also fairly embarrassing, but he really has no choice. Chanyeol claps him on the back with an impish grin on his face before turning to walk to the back to wash some dishes, and Sehun lets out a frustrated snort before grabbing the cold drink and walking.

 _Dead man walking_ , he thinks. 

But at least Minseok was right, because Johnny is at a table beside the large window up front, but he’s talking to someone he doesn’t know. _Huh, that’s strange_ , Sehun wonders, but just because he’s friends with Johnny doesn’t mean that he has to know all his friends. That’s intrusive. And weird.

“Johnny,” he whines, “How many times have I told you to wait for your drink where you can hear it?”

His friend doesn’t even do so much as glance at him. 

“Johnny,” he repeats.

At this, his friend’s companion looks up at him, but Sehun doesn’t meet his eyes, instead staring blankly at the back of Johnny’s head. After a few beats of silence, he turns around.

Uh, this person is a little too cute to be Johnny.

(No offense to Johnny.)

“I, uh,” Sehun stutters. “Uh.” Smooth.

“Um, are you okay?” the stranger asks. _Even his speaking voice is nice_.

Sehun can’t even bring himself to say sorry—fight or flight kicks into flight gear before anything else, and he aggressively brisk walks back to the counter. A bunch of his co-workers are there watching him, trying and failing to conceal their laughter.

Screw the iced americano. Johnny’s americano is going to be lukewarm once he gets it and he will have to settle for that, because because Oh Sehun has bigger problems to deal with right now, like shame and embarrassment and a shiny, brand-new existential crisis. He’s just about ready for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Someone tell Vivi that Sehun loves him, and that he’s the sole benefactor of his hat collection.

“Johnny,” Baekhyun begins, and Sehun knows that he’s doing his best to reign his laughter but he would feel a lot better if he just straight out guffawed at him, “He went to the bathroom. Kyungsoo’s given him a fresh cup, don’t worry. He’s sitting by the bulletin boards now.” 

He _is_ going to worry. Johnny doesn’t deserve that fresh cup, after what he’s put him through.

“Dude, did you just... leave him?” If there’s one thing he can count on Jongin to do, it’s laugh at him openly. “Look, they’re still staring at us.” 

“Don’t make eye contact,” Sehun says. “I apologized!” While he’s distracted Jongdae steps in disposes of the lukewarm coffee.

“Oh, I know him,” Yixing says, peering from behind the two tall boys and squinting in the window’s direction. “Minghao! He and his friend are here pretty often. His name is Minghao.”

“C’mon, let’s apologize,” Jongin says, tugging at his arm. “I’ll go with you.” Sehun’s half-convinced that if he tosses Johnny’s lukewarm americano at his friend, he’s going to melt to the ground like how witches do in fairy tales, because like _hell_ he’s going back there. Maybe in the next life. 

But Junmyeon makes him go and Junmyeon’s word is law (at least during his shift it is) so he does his best not to sulk as Jongin drags him all the way back to the window. Sehun shuffles behind Jongin when they arrive, so that the customers don’t see him completely.

“Hi,” Jongin says, and Sehun can hear him biting back a laugh so he kicks his shoes. “Just wanted to say sorry for my best friend here, he thought you were someone else.” Jongin reaches behind him to grab Sehun by the shoulders and pull him forward.

“Sorry,” Sehun says weakly. 

“Um, it’s fine,” the other boy replies.

“Hope we didn’t cause you any trouble,” Jongin says, perfecting the speech he and Sehun have had to repeat over and over during their training. “We’ll give you a free drink as an apology.”

Sehun’s jaw goes slack, because that isn’t protocol. He didn’t do anything to warrant having to give a free drink!

… Is what he would have said if Jongin hadn’t already pulled him back behind the counter and handed him a portafilter. 

“I don’t owe him anything,” Sehun argues.

“Yeah, but you think he’s cute,” Jongin shrugs. “You’re my best friend and I care about you. He likes americanos. Go get him, tiger.” 

They _are_ best friends but just because Jongin’s right doesn’t mean that he should say things like these out loud. Sehun mutters some… unsavory words under his breath as he brews a fresh cup. It doesn’t take long, and again there are a lot of free hands since it isn’t a peak hour anyway, so it’s not much of a bother. Physically, at least. His spirit feels a little drained.

While he waits for the water to heat up he grabs a plastic cup and a marker. What was his name again? Ming Who? Ming… Whomst? Ming How! Ming How was his name. He carefully writes it on the cup and finishes the rest of the coffee-making process.

He wipes the sweat from his clammy palms against his apron (ew, Sehun, gross) before wiping off the excess moisture from the top of Ming How’s cup. This better be the best-tasting iced americano Ming How’s had in his life. He summons his courage and holds the beverage in his hand, walking coolly back to the table by the front window.

“Iced americano for Ming How,” he says mirthlessly, before handing the drink to his new friend. 

“I’m not Minghao,” the boy says, and Sehun really wants to pull his own hair out. If he isn’t Johnny and he isn’t Ming How, then who is he? “He’s Minghao,” he gestures to his companion. “I’m Jeonghan.”

“Oh, well, uh,” Sehun can feel the earth beginning to shake under the soles of his feet. “The coffee is for you, Jeonghan. Sorry. Bye.”

God, whatever. It’s not like they don’t have enough staff members at this stupid cafe anyway. Minseok is more than good enough to be making coffee for all of them. He’s going to resign from his post and start a part-time job at the local pet shop where he can be around (non-human) cuties and not accidentally call cute strangers by his friends’ names. That’s it. That’s what he’ll do.

“And uh,” the boy—who he now knows is Jeonghan, and not Ming How, Where, What, Why, Who, Whomst, Whomst’ve—says, effectively cutting him out of his thoughts. “It’s Ming _hao_ , not… Ming How…”

The howling laughter of his coworkers rings in his ears for _days_.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“He was cute,” Jeonghan tells his friend once the barista leaves, nursing the cold cup in his hands. He takes a sip from his drink. “I can make a better americano though.” He hands the cup to his friend to prod him to give it a try, and Minghao does.

“Actually, it’s—“

“…”

“It’s good, but not as good as the kind you make.”

**Author's Note:**

> bring ur own reusable cups and straws to coffee shops, friends. save the environment.


End file.
